Officials approve $232,435 for Kayak launch on Smith Creek

Published: Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 6:15 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 6:15 p.m.

By next year, kayakers will have a new access point to reach Wilmington's Smith Creek. Earlier this month, the city council voted to spend $232,435 on a project to build a parking area, boardwalk and kayak launch near the intersection of McRae Street and Cornelius Harnett Drive.

"We need more," said George Bland, a kayaker and assistant manager of Great Outdoor Provision Co. "We need them all over the city."

"Our community is greatly underserved in the amount of non-motorized boat launches we have," she said.

Once it is completed, the new kayak launch will be the first on Smith Creek, Beatty said. The city does have a nearby launch on Burnt Mill Creek at Archie Blue Community Park in Love Grove.

Bland said the new project will help more people access Smith Creek. "You can get there, but sometimes it can be muddy," Bland said.

Chris Tryon, the co-owner and vice president of Hook Line and Paddle, said the kayak launch, when completed, will be used often.

"You always want to paddle a piece of water when you see it," he said. Although drivers can pass over Smith Creek twice if they drive the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, Tryon said you only see a portion of it. "That's a tiny sliver of that whole creek system," he said. The serpentine creek, which starts at the Northeast Cape Fear River, is navigable up to the North College Road area.

"It's an interesting creek to paddle," Tryon said, noting it narrows near Wilmington International Airport and has plenty of fish. Although it abuts the parkway, many areas of the creek are more secluded, he said.

The creek winds past industrial areas closer to the river and passes under the swing bridge on Castle Hayne Road built in 1931. It also meanders under a railroad bridge, by EUE/Screen Gems Studios, the airport and through tree-lined banks.

A state grant will pay for the bulk of the cost of the launch. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Division of Coastal Management awarded the city $175,000 to help pay for the project. The city provided a $57,435 cash match along with a $28,774 of in-kind work by city staffers.

Before construction can start, city officials need to complete negotiations with the property owner and obtain permits, though Beatty said the grant requires the project to be completed by October 2014.

Ultimately, the city wants to create a network of paddle trails, also called blueways, that can be marketed to residents and visitors alike. Along the way, the trails can have amenities like parking, bathrooms and signs, Beatty said. The paddle trails were part of the Wilmington/New Hanover County Comprehensive Greenway Plan adopted this year.

<p>By next year, kayakers will have a new access point to reach Wilmington's Smith Creek. Earlier this month, the city council voted to spend $232,435 on a project to build a parking area, boardwalk and kayak launch near the intersection of McRae Street and Cornelius Harnett Drive. </p><p>"We need more," said George Bland, a kayaker and assistant manager of Great Outdoor Provision Co. "We need them all over the city."</p><p>Amy Beatty, the city's recreation superintendant, wouldn't dispute that.</p><p>"Our community is greatly underserved in the amount of non-motorized boat launches we have," she said. </p><p>Once it is completed, the new kayak launch will be the first on Smith Creek, Beatty said. The city does have a nearby launch on Burnt Mill Creek at Archie Blue Community Park in Love Grove. </p><p>Bland said the new project will help more people access Smith Creek. "You can get there, but sometimes it can be muddy," Bland said. </p><p>Chris Tryon, the co-owner and vice president of Hook Line and Paddle, said the kayak launch, when completed, will be used often.</p><p>"You always want to paddle a piece of water when you see it," he said. Although drivers can pass over Smith Creek twice if they drive the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, Tryon said you only see a portion of it. "That's a tiny sliver of that whole creek system," he said. The serpentine creek, which starts at the Northeast <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic91"><b>Cape Fear River</b></a>, is navigable up to the North College Road area. </p><p>"It's an interesting creek to paddle," Tryon said, noting it narrows near <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/TOPIC9917"><b>Wilmington International Airport</b></a> and has plenty of fish. Although it abuts the parkway, many areas of the creek are more secluded, he said.</p><p>The creek winds past industrial areas closer to the river and passes under the swing bridge on Castle Hayne Road built in 1931. It also meanders under a railroad bridge, by EUE/Screen Gems Studios, the airport and through tree-lined banks. </p><p>A state grant will pay for the bulk of the cost of the launch. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Division of Coastal Management awarded the city $175,000 to help pay for the project. The city provided a $57,435 cash match along with a $28,774 of in-kind work by city staffers. </p><p>Before construction can start, city officials need to complete negotiations with the property owner and obtain permits, though Beatty said the grant requires the project to be completed by October 2014.</p><p>Ultimately, the city wants to create a network of paddle trails, also called blueways, that can be marketed to residents and visitors alike. Along the way, the trails can have amenities like parking, bathrooms and signs, Beatty said. The paddle trails were part of the Wilmington/New Hanover County Comprehensive Greenway Plan adopted this year. </p><p>Julian March: 343-2099</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @julian_march</p>